Pānui | Hūrae 2026

Jul 23
5 min read

Tēnā koutou e ngā uri o Maikuku rāua ko Huatakaroa — nau mai ki tō mātou pānui o Hūrae. A busy month behind us, and some good news to share.

Pūtea

Whānau and Hapū Initiative Fund — Applications Closed

The 2026 Whānau and Hapū Initiative Fund closed on 10 July. Ngā mihi ki a koutou — thank you to every whānau group, hapū, and marae that put a kaupapa forward. The response has been genuinely exciting.

Applications came in across a strong spread of themes:

Cultural revitalisation
Whakapapa and reo
Rangatahi development
Whānau wellbeing
Community connection

These are exactly the kinds of kaupapa this fund was designed to support — practical, group-led initiatives that bring descendants together and create real collective benefit.

The Board will assess all applications before the end of July. Applicants will be notified in early August, and we'll share the full results in our August pānui.

Kaupapa

Hokohoko Shop - One Step Closer

Many of you have been asking about the Hokohoko Shop and Community Hub since the kōrero at our AGM in May. The Board has now given it its formal backing, and we're working through the practical groundwork needed before anything opens its doors — occupation, insurance, health and safety, and volunteer arrangements all need to be confirmed first.

We want to get this right before we say more. Watch for an update in August.

TTB3

Whakatūwheratanga o Ngā Whare Hou

On 22 June, Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau Trust and Te Tii (Waitangi) B3 Trust officially opened eight new whare for whānau in Waitangi — the first new papakāinga housing development on this whenua in more than 50 years.

The whare on Te Kemara Avenue will provide warm, modern homes prioritising kaumātua and kuia, and form part of a growing pipeline of Māori-led housing across Te Taitokerau. With the rising of Matariki, it felt like exactly the right time to gather and mark a new chapter.

Ngā mihi nui ki a rātou mō tēnei mahi nui — to TTB3, Te Pouahi, and everyone who made it happen.

Kōrero Hou

Sorted Kāinga Ora Financial Capability Programme - Update

The Sorted Kāinga Ora Financial Capability Programme did not go ahead this round due to insufficient registrations. We know this will be disappointing for those who were keen.

If you're interested in a future round — covering housing pathways, money planning, KiwiSaver, and debt management — let us know at administrator@nuomrkh.co.nz (mailto:administrator@nuomrkh.co.nz) . Knowing there is demand helps us make the case for it to run again.

Oromāhoe

Oromāhoe 18R2B2B2 Trust - Special General Meeting

The Oromāhoe Trust is holding a Special General Meeting on Saturday 25 July 2026. As many of our whānau are also beneficial owners of Oromāhoe land, two significant motions are on the table:

Approval of a proposed horticulture development
An amendment to the Trust Order to enable papakāinga housing, including the granting of Licences to Occupy

Date: Saturday 25 July 2026, 10.00am (registration from 9.30am)

Venue: Oromāhoe Marae, 41 Porotu Road

Online: Microsoft Teams — register by 12pm Friday 24 July

RSVP / enquiries: info@oromahoetrust.co.nz

A quorum of at least 21 beneficial owners is required. If you cannot attend in person, you can register online or appoint a proxy — contact the Oromāhoe secretary for the proxy form.

Rangatahi

Ngā Tai o te Raki Māori Golf

Ngā Tai o te Raki Māori Golf has secured Rangitāmiro funding to deliver three programmes across Te Tai Tokerau this year. If you have rangatahi in your whānau, these are worth knowing about — and one is time-sensitive.

Rangatahi Golf Academy — applications open mid-July

A year-long development programme combining golf coaching with life skills, tikanga Māori, health and wellbeing, and personal development. Get in touch with Ngā Tai o te Raki soon.

Rangatahi Golf Tournament

Competitive golf in a culturally safe environment. Rounds planned for October and March.

Whānau Ambrose Golf Series

Social golf open to whānau of all ages and abilities. Running October through to March.

Golf is the vehicle. The real kaupapa is connection, confidence, and giving our rangatahi somewhere to thrive. Find Ngā Tai o te Raki Māori Golf on Facebook for more.

Pōti

Te Kōwhiri Pōti Māori - Electoral Roll hoice

Kei a tātou te mana – our choice has mana.

The Māori Electoral Option — Te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori — is a unique choice for Māori about which electoral roll to be on: the Māori roll or the general roll. Your roll choice affects which candidates you can vote for but does not affect your party vote. It can also influence the number of Māori and general seats in Parliament.

Already enrolled to vote? Check which roll you're on. If you're happy with the roll you're on, you don't need to do anything. If you'd like to change rolls, you need to make the change by 6 August.

The 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November. If you're not enrolled, do it now so you can vote in the 2026 General Election.

Make a choice today for you, your whānau, and your community.

Check or change your roll at vote.nz → (https://www.vote.nz)

Taiao

H5 Bird Flu - What to Know

H5 bird flu (H5N1) is now in New Zealand. As kaitiaki of our taiao, it's worth knowing what to look out for and what to do if you find sick or dead birds on or near your whenua.

The risk to human health is assessed as low, but the virus spreads quickly through bird populations and good practice makes a difference.

If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group — report it immediately:

MPI Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline: 0800 80 99 66 (24/7)

Do not handle or move dead birds unless you have gloves and eye protection. If you must handle them, use a shovel or spade rather than your hands, double-bag everything, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Signs of H5 bird flu in birds: sudden death or sickness, weakness, trembling, paralysis, breathing difficulties, lack of coordination.

Landowners are responsible for birds that are sick or dead on their land. If numbers are large or the location is a risk to people, pets, or livestock, contact your local council for disposal options.

For full guidance including disposal options and handling advice, download the MPI fact sheet or visit www.mpi.govt.nz/HPAI.

Ngā Pūkenga

What You Told Us and What We're Doing About It

Last year, 41 whānau took part in our first Whānau Survey. One finding kept standing out.

73% had teaching or mentoring experience
60% willing to share their skills
1 in 3 already running a business

There is real depth of knowledge and experience within this hapū — educators, hauora workers, business owners, cultural practitioners, tradespeople, and more. The Trust does not need to look externally for everything. That expertise is already here, in our own whānau.

So we're building a Whānau Skills Directory — a free listing on our website and social media to connect whānau expertise with community needs. Whether you're a builder, kaiako, bookkeeper, kai grower, or anything in between, we want to promote what you do.

To register, email us with:

Your name, what you do, and how people can contact you.

It costs nothing. It takes two minutes. And it puts your skills in front of whānau who might need exactly what you offer.